Denise Arellano , July 7, 2011
Scope and Contents
This collection contains over 9 hours of digital audio recordings. The following individuals took part in the Boise Foothills Levy Anniversary Oral History Collection.
Fred Alleman
Denise Arellano
Annie Black
Linda Hawkins Caufield
Jim Hall
Chas F McDevitt
Lauren McLean
Suki Molina
Ken Pursely
Brandy Wilson
Paul Woods
Dates
- July 7, 2011
Biographical / Historical
Denise Arellano moved to Boise, Idaho in 1994 from Western Washington. Growing up in Western Oregon she valued the benefits of open-space conservation. Having been active in political campaigns since college she volunteered during the foothills open-space levy. She served on the serial levy’s fundraising committee and organized several house parties. When interviewed she was working at the Public Defenders office and was volunteering for political events and campaigns.
Extent
449.08 Megabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
In her interview with Stephanie Milne on July 22, 2011, Denise Arellano offered her memories and recollections of the serial foothills levy campaign that she was a part of. Arellano spoke of how she got involved in the campaign and her exact participation in it. She described in detail her role on the fundraising committee and the house parties that she was responsible for. She also commented on the campaign’s positive messaging and how vital it was to its ultimate success. Additionally, she reflected on the opposition the foothills levy campaign faced and how they overcame it. Arellano suggested that the political machine that propelled the campaign to success did not necessarily disperse but is seen to this day with Lauren McLean, Paul Woods, and Dave Bieter who are in or have been in political office. She concluded the interview with telling the story of how she became engaged on a trail in the Boise Foothills.
Time Index
00:00 1 Introductions 00:30 1 Denise shared her personal history in Boise, Idaho and explained how in 1999 she started hear about the possibility of a Serial Foothills Levy. She also described how she became involved in volunteering and running the campaign’s fundraising house parties.
03:59 3 Denise explained where she thought the idea of preserving the Boise Foothills originated. She described Boise’s Greenbelt as the historic roots of the movement to preserve open-space in Boise. 06:48 6 Denise described the steps the campaign took in order for it to be successful. She stressed the importance of organization and the need to effectively fundraise so money could be spent on various marketing strategies. She discussed her role in throwing house parties and the contributions it made to the overall campaign. She also briefly described the struggles the campaign faced including some of those who opposed the levy.
13:01 7 Denise discussed the platform the campaign used. She described outlining specific areas where they planned to purchase land so it would flow with both private and public lands. She also explained how it was technologically a different time in 2001, email was new and not as many people had cellphones. She also described in depth how the house parties were organized. 19:58 11 Denise described how she personally dealt with the opposition the foothills campaign faced. She specifically cited the power of positive messaging and how important it was to the campaign’s success. She also referenced how great it was to meet and get to know people from the campaign. She also described other obstacles the campaign as a whole faced.
25:54 13 Denise shared her memories of the night of the foothills serial levy passed. She described being responsible for decorating the celebration that took place at the Boise Depot. She also described her happy reaction when she found out the levy had passed. 29:42 15 Denise discussed how she thought that the political machine that developed during the Foothills Levy stayed together with Paul Woods’ campaigns for County Commissioner, Lauren McLean’s run for City Council, and Dave Bieter’s successful tenure as the Mayor of Boise City.
34:46 17 Denise discussed several things that stand out most to her from the open-space levy. She cited riding her mountain bike on land that was purchased through the levy. She also mentioned the lasting friendships that she developed. Lastly, she explained that to her the foothills open-space levy is still successful because it has become the norm in the Boise community. 40:46 17 Denise explained where in the foothills provides her a sense of place. She cited Crest Line trail where her now husband proposed to her and also Crowells trail off of Bogus Basin Road as two of her favorites.
44:33 END OF TRACK ONE/END OF RECORDING
Names and Places Index
Boise Foothills Serial Levy Open-Space
Fundraising Committee House Parties
Paul Woods Lauren McLean
Chamber of Commerce Mayor Dave Bieter
Hulls Gulch Table Rock
Dry Creek Crest Line Trail
Boise Depot
Source
- Arellano, Denise (April 18, 1964-August 10, 2020) (Narrator, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Collections Repository